AFVS 70: The Art of Film, taught by Laura Frahm
“The Art of Film was a highlight of my freshman experience. The class is structured around Tuesday night screenings in the historic Carpenter Center where I was introduced to some of my favorite films. Bi-weekly lectures walk students through different cinematic movements, supplying the brilliant images we watch on screen with important historical context. Section was a space to unpack film theory.
The Killer of Sheep’s soundtrack is saved on my Spotify Playlists, thanks to this class. I highly recommend this course if you are interested in film history, would like to learn how to use softwares, such as Adobe Premiere, or just want an excuse to watch a great movie once a week!” –Hannah Frazer ’25
This class has a Q Guide score of 4.23. In this class, major assignments are not limited to just traditional essay structure! Students have the opportunity to analyze film through video blog posts, a film festival project (a collaborative assignment in which students create a concept for a film festival featuring 8-10 films), and visual essays that combine writing with multimedia. Many respondents of the Q Guide asserted that they walked away from this class with a newfound passion for film!
This class is offered in the spring term.
COMPSCI 51: Abstraction and Design in Computation, taught by Stephen Chong
“A classic, but one that you might not hear too often–CS51. It’s a weird class in that it’s a CS class that uses a language basically nobody ever uses. I was lucky enough to take it with Stephen Chong as the professor, who was just great–I actually got coffee with him once.
I totally recommend taking this class! It was the first time where CS was framed as an art rather than as a ‘science’–where getting the correct output was one criteria, but getting a solution that was elegant, easy to understand, and (as some crazy people would say) beautiful, was just as important.” –Dan Ennis ’25
This class has a Q Guide score of 3.69 and is definitely not for the faint of heart. One Q Guide respondent said to “be prepared to work hard, and if you do, you will learn an enormous amount of information” and “if you’re prepared to do that, you’ll come away very pleased.” If you’re up for the challenge and passionate about computer science, Professor Chong is calling your name!
This class is offered in the spring term.
COMPSCI 32: Computational Thinking and Problem Solving, taught by Mike Smith
“This course offers an introduction to coding. However, unlike CS50, this class only uses Python. CS32 primarily focuses on styles of thinking and the ‘big ideas’ of computer science, rather than syntax or tiny technical details, so it offers a nice, broad introduction to the field. Professor Smith also focuses on creativity and active learning: no exams, just p-sets and short, straight-forward quizzes. You can get a lot out of this course if you put in the effort and teach yourself some of the nitpicky details of writing code in various languages afterwards.” –Mary Cipperman ’25
As fewer students are enrolled in CS32, Q Guide respondents describe this class as a more accessible introduction to computer science without the “flashy-ness” of CS50. This course is split into three “acts” or units (“expressing our creativity in code,” “elegantly managing the world’s complexity,” and “understanding why things are the way they are”), each teaching students something new and unique about computer science languages. Act one introduces students to scripts, communities, and numbers. Act two teaches students about classical algorithms (search), limits, and languages. The final act introduces students to memory management and machine learning. There are five large grading components, each weighed equally at 20% – each “act,” the final project, and in-class quizzes.
This class is offered in the spring term.
ENG-SCI 94: Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Practical and Academic Insights, taught by Josh Lerner
“You don’t need to wait till you graduate and take the GRE to experience business school. Take Eng-Sci 94 at the massive Science and Engineering Complex in Allston and learn the case study method from a Harvard Business School professor of investment banking. Each class explores a real issue faced by a real business, welcoming students to propose solutions for startups to survive and scale and occasionally featuring guest lectures from founders themselves and the venture capitalists who funded them.” –Mary Julia Koch ’23
The course culminates in a final project in which students comprehensively assess a company’s potential for growth or pitch their own business plan—which might even become a reality beyond the classroom walls. Just ask the 82% of respondents to the Harvard Q Guide who said they’d recommend this HBS-style class with enthusiasm.
This class is offered in the spring term.
Expository Writing 20 248: Art of the Con, taught by Professor Ian Shank
“Art of the Con teaches students to enhance their writing skills through the lens of con artists. We spent the semester analyzing texts, including novels and films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People, and The Fyre Festival, to learn how con artists expose truths about our society. This course owes a lot of its appeal to Professor Shank. Shank teaches with a real passion— not only for the subject matter, but also with care for his students’ development as writers. We spent class time engaging in conversation, dissecting the texts, walking through the writing process, and also getting to know one another better. I really enjoyed the small class size and Shank’s stress on facilitating camaraderie between students. This is one of my favorite courses I’ve taken so far at Harvard.” –Ariel Beck ’25
This class is split into three units, each culminating in a final paper. The first unit dives into what it means to be a con artist and allows students to create arguments in their defense. The second unit teaches students to analyze two comparative texts side-by-side. For example, last year, students wrote about the key differences between the movie and book version of Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. In the final unit, students will have the opportunity to research a con artist of their choosing, creating an argument about how this person connects us to “one or more facets of American life,” according to the class’ syllabus. Expository Writing courses, by many, have the reputation of being dry and a requirement you just have to get through and complete; however, this class effectively allows students to learn all the critical writing skills needed to sustain college while relating to engaging topics.
This class is offered in the fall term.
FRSEMR 40D: The Transformation of Marketing, taught by Elie Ofek
“This highly competitive, sought after seminar aims to redefine the concept of Marketing within any business sector–after all, the my.harvard course guide identifies “FRSEMR 40D,” as the Transformation of Marketing. I alongside 11 other students had the honor of undertaking a course that unveiled the different factors that drive people to click and purchase. Harvard Business School Professor, Elie Ofek, hand picks people to fill his classroom located in the SEC building (occasionally in a Harvard Business School classroom) each spring, providing first-year students with a change in scenery from the daily walks in and out of the yard.
Bringing this content to life, Ofek’s infectious energy and charismatic zeal for marketing captivates and inspires hungry students to dive head first into the realm of consumer behavior. Utilizing the case study method, Ofek provided the tools to inquisitively dissect and rationalize questions while gauging the effect of strategies used by different industries ranging from sports to cosmetics. By the end of this course, students will have learned the intricacies and nuances behind marketing to navigate the consumer world from the “ultimate” insider perspective. Trust me, the 20 minute walk is worth it!” –Alexandra Lenzo ’25
With a glowing Q Guide score of 4.92, 92% of respondents recommend this class with enthusiasm! Being taught by an HBS professor is a truly unique experience, and Professor Ofek is clearly no exception. Every single student response radiated nothing but positivity. Unfortunately, because this class is a freshman seminar, it is only offered to first-year students.
This class is offered in the spring term.
GENED 1067: Creativity, taught by David Atherton
“Creativity taught me so much about myself. More importantly, the Gen Ed inspired critical thinking about the creativity of other humans, animals, and machines. We learned about creativity as a science and as an art, through readings and through practice.
This class required deep introspection. The “lectures” were less lectures and more similar to conversations that leave you feeling stimulated and motivated. This class was a reminder of how lucky I am to be able to learn in this place and from these people. I recommend it to everyone.” –Ella Hilton ’24
With an average Q Guide score of 4.68 and glowing responses, this Gen Ed is a must take! One respondent claimed with glee, “ It’s a classic gem, in that not only is it super manageable work-wise, but it is genuinely interesting and the assignments are fun to do.” Seems like a win-win to me!
This class is offered in the spring term.
GENED 1114: Painting’s Doubt: A Studio Course, taught by Matt Saunders
“When I tell people I took a painting class at Harvard, they’re either really jealous or really confused. Where else are you going to have the opportunity to spend 4+ hours a week with the best paints, brushes, and materials, and under the direction of such a renowned teacher and artist? This painting GenEd is such an amazing way to balance the workload of p-set or essay classes, while still growing my appreciation for art history and modern methods. I’m definitely no artist, but I wouldn’t trade this class for the world!” –Marbella Marlo ’24
Although this class does require a lot of time and effort,–with upwards of ten hours of painting each week–it definitely provides students with a new, unique, and creative type of learning, free of problem sets and traditional exams. This class has a Q Guide score of 4.52.
This class is offered in the fall term.
GOV 20: Foundations of Comparative Politics, taught by Steven Levitsky
“I took Gov 20 my freshman fall and learned the most I ever have in one semester from one class. Professor Levitsky creates full, engaging lectures that take you through theories and case studies from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Despite being a prominent Professor, Levitsky holds regular office hours and welcomes conversations with students. The TFs also host sessions on how to read and write for Gov 20, so don’t let the 100-200 page per week or the exams deter you. There is a lot of support! If you learn how to get the main ideas without reading the full texts and pay attention in lecture and class, you’ll be fine.” –Hannah Davis ’25
“Gov 20 balances the difficult task of discussing comparative political theory with application of case studies in a manner that engages and challenges students to think critically about the world around us. In my own opinion, one reason Gov 20 particularly sticks out as a valuable and important course is its incredible ability to leave students with a number of questions about our present and future, but also to equip them with the tools to answer those questions and possibly solve the problems of the present and future.” –Oliver Adler ’24
Taught by world renowned political scientist, Steven Levitsky’s class has a Q Guide score of 4.21. Over half of the respondents recommend this class with enthusiasm!
This class is offered in the fall term.
Alexandra Friedlander ’25 (afriedlander@college.harvard.edu) is currently struggling to finish enrolling in her first semester classes.